A dozen “06880” readers knew exactly where last week’s photo challenge was.
They just couldn’t agree on how to describe its location.
Patricia McMahon’s image showed the badly corroded trestles of the railroad bridge that crosses the Saugatuck River near the train station. Some described it as Ferry Lane. Others called it Railroad Place. One just said it was near Donut Crazy.
Hey, Seth Schachter, Bob Knoebel, Jay Tormey, Peter Hirst, Seth Goltzer, Scott Brodie, Wendy Cusick, Dominique Dwor-Frecaut, Michael Brennecke, Andrew Colabella, Suzanne Tager Obsitnik and Seth Braunstein — you’re all right! It seems Ferry Lane West turns into Railroad Place right under the bridge.
Which, by the way, sorely needs a name. Any suggestions? (Click here to see the photo of the bridge you’re naming.)
Now: Can you name this week’s photo challenge? If you know where in Westport you’d see this, click “Comments” below.
(Photo/Dana Kuyper)
positano
It’s the inside of 233 Hillspoint Road. The old Positano and other restaurants before it.
Cafe decla Plage.
Darn Siri
Cafe de la Plage
Oops. Darn Siri
Cafe de la Plage
The restaurant at Oldmill that is abandon looking through
The old Positano.
Yep – you are all right. The former Positano restaurant on Hillspoint Road near Old Mill, formerly Cafe de la Plage (and several other places).
Inside the former Positano’s, overlooking the Sound.
Is it the inside of the former Positano?
Interior of former Positanos restaurant
Inside old Positano Restaurant or Cafe del la Plage on the Mill Pond
Correct, but it’s on Long Island Sound. The Mill Pond is on the other side of Old Mill Beach.
Cafe de la plage (sp) dated I know but I haven’t lived there for awhile.
Looking through the windows of the old Positanos
The old Positano restaurant at compo
Inside old Positano restaurant on Hillspoint.
The old Positano restaurant at compo beach
The old Positano restaurant on Compo Beach Road?
Actually, it’s on Hillspoint Road…
…yes,it was Positano, but when they asked for 5 outdoor tables, a neighbor protested, the town agreed with that one dissenting voice and Positano relocated.
Gossip was that 2 people bought the property to spec convert to residential, FEMA disallowed their grand plan, and somehow it is now residential in perpetuity (sp?), and up for sale.
As Elvira’s is also on the block — and no one knows if prospective buyers will keep it going, put it to other commercial use or move to make it residential — my neighborhood is eroding and a sense of community is in peril.
If anyone has better information, I am eager to be better informed.
your version of events is out of synch with the truth:
1. Positano wanted to place outdoor tables on a patio they had illegally placed ON OLD MILL BEACH itself (town of Westport prolerty).
2. Positano had been ordered to remove that illegal patio years before, but had ignored that order.
3. Positano and Cafe de la Plage (& prior) managed to stay in business for over four decades without outdoor tables – being denied the opportunity to begin to use outdoor tables they had never used before, on an illegal patio located on Town property, hardly killed the restaurant.
From inside of the former Positano’s restaurant?
The old Cafe de la Plage? A favorite when I first moved to Westport more than 50 years ago.
Old Positano /Cafe De La Plage at Compo!
Picture from inside the old Positano restaurant.
The inside of the old Positano restaurant.
Empty old Positano
Gotta be the old Cafe de la Plage (Sorry folks, I go back farther than Positano. We should ask Dan Lorenzetti.
Inside what used to be Positano’s, across from Elvira’s at Compo Beach.
Actually, it’s Old Mill Beach.
Inside the old Positano’s at the beach
Peter swift
Sent from my iPhone
Is that half Positano? By the beach…
RTher call it Cafe de la Plage
Mr. Whittle:
Gee, you seem to know a lot.
What is the current status of this property and if it is no longer commercial, how did that come about?
I don’t know the current status, I am only able to recite those details about Positanos and their request to locate outdoor tables on Town property because I was on the P&Z when that application came before us.
I happen to really like Cafe de la Plage and Positano, btw (frequent patron of both) and was sad to see Positanos relocate.
Stephanie, I think it lost its commercial status because the property is part of a residential zone and the grandfathered nonconforming use as a restaurant was lost once it had been discontinued for two years.
I know you described your neighborhood as “eroding;” the issue, I think, is that the market value of residential property values in close proximity to the water appreciated or escalated to the point where the lots containing Elvira’s and Positano’s ended up having greater value as a residential property instead of a commercial property. Perhaps a local real estate broker can weigh in on this.
In any case, back in the day my family patronized both Allen’s and Cafe de la Plage–and it was great when we had two waterfront restaurants in this neighborhood. And, of course, Elvira’s is an institution that seems like it has been part of Westport forever even though it’s “only” been around for a little over two decades. It will indeed be missed if it winds up as another residential property and, if that transformation does occur, it will mark the end of an era.
Italian restaurant that used to be at the beach and now by the Playhouse.
Old Positanos.
The former restaurant across the street from Elvira’s, which is now closed and the building is for sale – Grover Fitch
The former Positano restaurant, diagonally across from Elvira’s… looking out to the beach.
Inside of the old Positanos. Sadness
The old now vacant Positano at Old
Mill Beach
It’s Positano’s view of Compo Beach! Lovely picture.
The old positano restaurant.
The long-ago ‘Cafe de la Plage’.
RIP
Old “Positanos”
Ghost of old Positano
The view from former Positano’s Restaurant.
The old Positanos.
A little late for commenting – but this is where Frederic and I got married. Sad to see it abandoned but we have great memories of Positano’s.